Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson released a proposed $4 billion budget plan this week. The budget includes cuts to several programs and over 100 positions.

In February, Vega Pederson revealed the county’s Homeless Services Department was facing a $104 million deficit due to the elimination of short-term funding streams. That budget gap has been adjusted to $60 million, according to the latest budget report.

Vega Pederson spoke to OPB’s “Think Out Loud” about her proposal. Below are highlights from the conversation.

On the decision to eliminate the county’s campaign finance program:

“I was looking very keenly at those programs that are providing direct services that are having really strong outcomes and looking at those programs that have the most impacts on marginalized communities … And when we’re looking at such cuts across the county, it didn’t seem right to fund a new program at the expense of other ongoing programs.”

On Thursday Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said at a press conference:

“She’s doubling down on some very failed issues that we’ve had in this community, and she’s taking it out of our core funding, our general fund, instead of funding our district attorney’s office. This is a direct move in the wrong direction for this community.”

“We have identified more people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County than we ever have before. And I think it’s incumbent upon us as elected officials to respond to that in the right way.

Even with the dollars that we have from the general fund being reallocated to our Homeless Services Department, we still have a 22% decrease in our homeless services budget compared to what we have in the previous year.”

“I tried to prioritize our investments in community safety, whether it was around our parole and probation, the District Attorney’s office only being asked to do a 3% cut, the sheriff’s office and jails, none.

I think that speaks for itself, but I also want to make sure that folks understand that.

Even before those reductions were asked, I put about $2.2 million worth of one-time-only expenses that had been in the DA’s budget this year, I rolled those into ongoing funds … that means that those 10 or 11 positions that were funded with that $2.2 million of ongoing fund for the district attorney, that’s going to be built into his budget now from here ongoing.

It will always be part of his continuing service level budget, and so those positions are locked in.”

On the county’s commitment to opening new sobering beds and a sobering shelter:

“Sobering beds are something that has been needed in our community for several years. It’s about five years since the last one closed in 2019.

This is really a resource to help people who might be outside on the street in intoxication, who would otherwise be going to emergency departments or to jail or staying there on the street.

This is a place for people to go. This is going to make a visible difference for what’s happening on our street and for those people getting on a path to recovery.”

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation:

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/25/multnomah-county-portland-oregon-jessica-vega-pederson-budget/